David Az

Kansas, at 7-2 on a two-game losing streak, is badly in need of a get-right game. As 14.5 point favorites, today's home matchup with NC State would appear to be exactly what they're looking for. NC State comes in as a major conference opponent, but a weak one, ranked 78th by KenPom and 80th by Torvik. The Wolfpack are a slow-paced team with a mediocre defense and weak offense, and would appear to be an opponent that may struggle to keep up with KU's horses. With that in mind, here are three things to watch in today's game.

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One last game before Big 12 play starts on New Year’s Eve. These games right before Christmas when the students have gone home always seem to be tricky, but the point spread is 24.5 and we have a real advantage in size and athleticism. The only concern is that Brown shoots threes often and pretty well. Rock Chalk!

Recently, very little has come easily for Kansas, even in their wins. That changed Sunday as they blew out the visiting Brown Bears, 87-53.

KU basketball injury update on Rylan Griffen & Zach Clemence | Kansas City Star Early in the second half of KU’s blowout win over Brown, transfer guard Rylan Griffen collided face-first with a Brown player.

My apologies for the late mauling. I slept in longer than intended, and by the time I took care of the dogs, went to the gym, took a shower, etc, it dawned on me that this is still a weekday and we still needed a daily post. In the spirit of holiday laziness, I’m not gathering links halfway through the day, so we’ll just hit some QOTDs.

Jayhawks News KU forward Bryson Tiller talks redshirt season with Kansas

Putin apologizes over Azerbaijan Airlines crash as he admits Russian air defenses were active at the time | CNN Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has apologized for the fact that an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed after entering Russian airspace in Grozny, Chechnya, on Wednesday, but did not say that Russia was responsible.

KU Jayhawks practice update on Rylan Griffen, Zach Clemence | Kansas City Star Hunter Dickinson, who stood at least 2 feet taller than hundreds of campers at Kansas’ holiday men’s basketball clinic, had the first-through-sixth graders clapping their hands and stomping their feet after opening the proceedings by hitting a halfcourt shot Friday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.

In the past 22 days, Kansas has played just two basketball games. Hopefully that period of rest around the holidays has them healthy and rested, because the meat grinder that is the Big 12 conference schedule begins New Year’s Eve. First up is a home game against West Virginia, who Bart Torvik ranks 9th in the conference but still 39th in the country. Yeah, this league is going to be tough.